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• log
  log

  noun

  a portion or length of the trunk or of a large limb of a felled tree.
• log-
  log-

  variant of logo- before a vowel.
• -log
  -log

  variant of -logue.
• log.
  log.

  abbreviation

  logic.

log

¹ American  

[lawg, log] / lɔg, lɒg /

noun

1. a portion or length of the trunk or of a large limb of a felled tree.

   Put another log on the fire.

   We dragged logs from the forest and lashed them together to make a raft.

2. something resembling a log, as in shape or weight.

   Mix the softened butter and sage together, then put it on wax paper and roll it into a log.

3. any of various records, made in rough or finished form, concerning a trip made by a ship or aircraft and dealing with particulars of navigation, weather, engine performance, discipline, and other pertinent details; logbook.

4. Nautical. any of various devices for determining the speed of a ship, such as a chip log or patent log.

5. Movies. an account describing or denoting each shot as it is taken, written down during production and referred to in editing the film.

6. a record of a machine's operation, maintenance, etc..

   The log shows the date of each inspection of the roller coaster, any problems noticed, and all repairs made.

   If using the photocopier for personal documents, please write your initials and the number of pages in the log.

7. Also called well log. a record kept during the drilling of a well, especially of the geological formations penetrated.

8. Computers. any of various chronological records made concerning the use of a computer system, the changes made to data, etc.

9. Radio and Television. a written account of everything transmitted by a station or network.

10. Also called log of wood. Australian Slang. a lazy, dull-witted person; fool.

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verb (used with object)

• logs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• logged,
  past participle,  past
• logging
  present participle

1. to cut (trees) into logs.

   The villagers logged pine trees for fuel.

2. to cut down the trees or timber on (land).

   We logged the entire area in a week.

3. to enter in a logbook or record; keep a record of.

   While at camp I logged each day’s events in a journal.

4. to make (a certain speed), as a ship or airplane.

   We are logging 18 knots.

5. to travel for (a certain distance or a certain amount of time), according to a record kept of one or more trips.

   We logged 30 miles the first day.

6. to amass (a certain amount of time, number of events, or the like) working in a particular field or engaging in a particular type of activity.

   She has logged 26 years of teaching experience at the college level.

   He logged 17 shows as a model before changing careers.

verb (used without object)

• logs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• logged,
  past participle,  past
• logging
  present participle

1. to cut down trees and remove them from the forest for timber.

   He logs for a living.

   The company has been logging in Oregon for decades.

verb phrase

1. log in

   1. Digital Technology. Also log on, sign on. to enter identifying data, such as a username or password, into a database, mobile device, or computer, especially a multiuser computer or a remote or networked system, so as to access and use it.

      Log in to start your work session. Log in to your account to pay your bill online.

   2. to enter or include any item of information or data in a record, account, etc..

      Once the day’s stats have been logged in, let the captain see the logbook.

2. log off / out to terminate a session.

log ² American  

[lawg, log] / lɔg, lɒg /

noun

1. Mathematics. logarithm.

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log- ³ American  

1. variant of logo- before a vowel.

   logarithm.

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-log ⁴ American  

1. variant of -logue.

   analog.

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log. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. logic.

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log ¹ British  

/ lɒɡ /

noun

1. short for logarithm

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-log ² British  

combining form

1. a US variant of -logue

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log ³ British  

/ lɒɡ /

noun

1. 1. a section of the trunk or a main branch of a tree, when stripped of branches

   2. (modifier) constructed out of logs

      a log cabin

2. 1. a detailed record of a voyage of a ship or aircraft

   2. a record of the hours flown by pilots and aircrews

   3. a book in which these records are made; logbook

3. a written record of information about transmissions kept by radio stations, amateur radio operators, etc

4. 1. a device consisting of a float with an attached line, formerly used to measure the speed of a ship See also chip log

   2. to determine a ship's speed with such a device

5. a claim for better pay and conditions presented by a trade union to an employer

6. without stirring or being disturbed (in the phrase sleep like a log )

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verb

1. (tr) to fell the trees of (a forest, area, etc) for timber

2. (tr) to saw logs from (trees)

3. (intr) to work at the felling of timber

4. (tr) to enter (a distance, event, etc) in a logbook or log

5. (tr) to record the punishment received by (a sailor) in a logbook

6. (tr) to travel (a specified distance or time) or move at (a specified speed)

log Scientific  

/ lôg /

1. A logarithm.

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log Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing log

• easy as pie (rolling off a log)
• like a bump on a log
• sleep like a log

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Usage

What does -log mean? The combining form -log is used like a suffix meaning “discourse,” either spoken or written. Discourse means "communication of thought by words." The form -log is often used in everyday and technical terms. The form -log comes from Greek -logos, meaning “word” or "discourse." To learn more about logos, you can read our entry on the English word logos here. What are variants of -log?In British English, -log is spelled with a terminal -ue, becoming -logue, as in analogue. Additional related forms include -logic and -logy. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on all three forms.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• loggish
  adjective
• unlogged
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• logging
  present
• logged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• log
  simple
• logs
  simple
• have logged
  perfect
• has logged
  perfect
• am logging
  progressive
• are logging
  progressive
• is logging
  progressive
• have been logging
  perfect progressive
• has been logging
  perfect progressive

Past

• logged
  simple
• had logged
  perfect
• was logging
  progressive
• were logging
  progressive
• had been logging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will log
  simple
• will have logged
  perfect
• will be logging
  progressive
• will have been logging
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of log

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English logge, variant of lugge “pole, limb of tree”; compare obsolete logget “pole”; see lugsail

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Explanation

A log is the trunk of a tree minus the branches: logging is cutting down trees. A log is also a written record of something, and logging is keeping such a record. The first type of log is a tree that's been cut down with the branches stripped. Think of a log cabin: it's made up of logs. Logging is when trees are cut down for lumber. The other type of log is some type of written record or list of messages. A ship captain keeps a log of notes on the ship's status and progress. When you make such a record, you're logging. Logging can be written or orally recorded.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

log log- log. logs logged logging

In this new World Athletics-sanctioned competition, runners around the world log 5km on a treadmill and compete for a prize pool of $100,000 and the title of world champion.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

A navy log showing the sinking had incorrect coordinates, resulting in it not being found until recently.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

So she and her family decamped to a ranch in Montana, where they lived in a log cabin and rode horses while riding out the global pandemic.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

The surgery business was the only one to log a sales decline, falling 0.6% worldwide due to a drop in international revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Sometimes Old Rowdy would hop up on a sycamore log, raise his head high in the air, and bawl.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

The only buildings here were tiny log- and-mortar cabins, replicas of the army’s shelters.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli

Lancelot kicked the log- thoughtfully, one arm on the mantelpiece, looking into the ashy glow.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

He jerked open a log- and-barbed-wire gate that led into a pasture and motioned for me to walk through.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

I thought so when I saw the loading-crew taking it easy at the log- landing.

From The Valley of the Giants by Peter B. (Peter Bernard) Kyne

Glad enough we were to see, by the blazing light of an enormous log- heap, the house of our friend.

From The Backwoods of Canada Being Letters From The Wife of an Emigrant Officer, Illustrative of the Domestic Economy of British America by Catharine Parr Strickland Traill

"You fill in the log. Clearly, they hadn't done it."

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2025

"So the ninth time I went under and came up and grabbed a log. And that's what kept me going."

From Reuters ● Jan. 21, 2022

“I mean, that log. You know, his, whatever…we don’t even know if he’s a real lumberman or whether he’s just a guy. So, I’ll do a little digging on that and get back to you.’

From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2017

They were making a noise that sounded like a rusty saw in a hickory log.*

From Time Magazine Archive

“Captain's log. Stardate 9326.5. Hog hunting is incredibly boring. I think I'll take a nap and trust in my brilliant Vulcan companion to let me know if any extremely dangerous feral hogs walk by.”

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

All the while, another machine consisting of a motor, a cylindrical blade assembly and a conveyor belt swallowed logs into one end and delivered a stream of wood chips out the other.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

Incident logs, which have been seen by the newspaper, suggest that the RAF reported the sightings to police and "multiple different external investigations" are ongoing.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

To analyze Paxton’s travel, ProPublica and the Tribune reviewed DPS logs for his security detail and records from the attorney general’s office, including airfare and lodging receipts, per diems and his daily calendars.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

According to a 2022 inspection report, when the drugstore was asked, “How are you storing these?” because they’re not in the logs, he said, “It’s supposed to be a little bit freezing.”

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

Our destination turned out to be an empty stretch of road cut off by a pile of stones and logs heaped in the middle of the path.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

In the second quarter, the Parisian maker of high-end handbags and silk scarves logged a 6.7% increase in revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite logged its worst day since June, tumbling 2.6%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

Capital One Financial COF 0.87%increase; up pointing triangle logged higher profit and revenue in the third quarter as the company continues its integration of Discover.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din said on Sunday that it had logged 269 incidents of violence directly related to the olive harvest over the previous 20 days.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Even the wilderness is carefully husbanded there, and though that forest had been logged for centuries there were no waste places in it, no desolations of stumps, no eroded slopes.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Charles Schwab CEO Rick Wurster says the firm is blocking third-party AI agents from logging into customer accounts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

Lula tightened up environmental monitoring and penalties for illegal logging.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

VPNs are commonly used to trick a site into thinking a user is logging on from another country, giving the user access to the site.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Since the 1970s, scientists and the public have questioned the use of clearfell logging – where all trees in a block of forest are cut down.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

I dug my heels into Jingle Boy again and headed him hard north, back toward the little logging village, back to the stable.

From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis

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Related Words

• chunk
• piece
• timber
• wood

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